The importance and benefits of going on vacation

Remember summer holidays as a kid? Being released from school and seeing nothing but weeks of freedom, sunshine and sandy sandwiches lying ahead?…

It’s easy to forget that feeling as a working adult when heavy workloads and stress threaten to eat into our precious vacation days. Most people are owed a minimum number of vacation days a year but a lot of us don’t take them. In the US in 2014, for example, workers only took 51% of the small number of vacation days they were allowed and 15% of people took no time off at all [1]. Many said that they were worried about falling behind in their work while others worried that they would lose their edge on the competition for promotions. But this reasoning may be flawed.

Research shows that not only are vacations good for you but that they may also increase productivity meaning they’re good for the workplace and for your career as well.

Here we’ve listed some of the benefits of taking a break for both you and your work:

Vacations make you happier.

Yes it may be an obvious one but it can be easy to forget in the face of a heavy workload when going on a vacation seems like another task on the to-do list. Research has found that after taking a vacation workers are less tense and stressed, they are more likely to be in a good mood and to have higher levels of energy [2]. Better yet, people who come back from vacation are more satisfied with their lives in general when they return [3]. Doesn’t a calmer, energised, happier you or a more satisfied, de-stressed employee sound like a good outcome?

Vacations are good for your health.

We’ve blogged before about the effects of stress on health. Chronic stress puts a strain on your body and puts you at risk of ill health. Although we all need some periods of stress in our lives it’s also important to know where to draw the line and how to take time out. A vacation offers a chance for your body to turn off the stress systems, to recuperate and to repair. Research has shown that people on holiday immediately feel healthier, have less physical complaints and even have a reduction in cholesterol levels on their return [2, 4]

Vacations increased productivity.

We’ve covered why vacations are good for the individual but are they also good for the workplace? The research seems to say yes. Employees who take a vacation have lower levels of job stress and burnout [5]. Researchers also showed that at a company level there were lower levels of absenteeism for reasons other than ill health after employees had taken a vacation compared to before [6]. In addition, employees who have had a vacation see the tasks they have to complete as part of their job as less effortful compared to before they took time off [7].

All of this indicates the benefits of spending time away from work. But there’s an important catch to remember if you want to see these benefits – a vacation should not just involve time spent out of the office but time off work as well. 61% of US workers in 2014 admitted to working while on vacation and this is something which can negate many of the good effects of a vacation [1]. Studies have shown that people who spend a lot of time thinking negatively about work while on vacation actually had higher levels of exhaustion and disengagement from work when they returned [7]. People who felt that their holiday was highly recuperative, meanwhile, experienced enhanced effects when they went back to work [3]. They were happier and more satisfied with their lives even in the face of a heavy workload on their return.

This shows that it’s not enough just to leave the office, you also need to switch off when you take time off. Try not to think about all of things that annoy you in work, don’t log into your email unless absolutely necessary and limit your use of electronic devices. One PIP team member tried just this on her own vacation and lists the benefits of digital detox in another blog (Link coming soon!). So don’t feel guilty about taking the time off you’re entitled to. Vacations are important for a healthier you, a happier office and a more productive workplace.

Glassdoor, Q1 2014 Employment Confidence Survey. 2014.

de Bloom, J., et al., Effects of vacation from work on health and well-being: Lots of fun, quickly gone. Work & Stress, 2010. 24(2): p. 196-216.